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She Likes Food
As the days (and evenings) get hotter, the thought of turning on the oven or firing up the stove to make dinner can leave us in a cold sweat. But summer meals don’t have to be room temperature salad and pasta every night. Put your Instant Pot to work to create a warm, satisfying and delicious dinner, without heating up the kitchen.
1. Instant Pot vegetarian chili with summer vegetables
Chili is a family favorite, and She Likes Food’s version cooked in an Instant Pot is perfect for summer. Load up on your favorite summer veggies, like corn, tomatoes and summer squash from the farmers market or garden.
2. Instant Pot green chile pork tacos
The Heritage Cook makes homemade pork carnitas that are cooked with peppers, garlic and aromatics until tender. The meat is shredded, smothered in enchilada sauce and served with your favorite taco toppings. Bonus: This recipe is gluten-free!
3. Easy Instant Pot potato salad
Potato salad in a creamy and tangy mayo-vinegar dressing is the perfect side dish for summer potlucks. Allrecipes’ version makes it super easy by cooking the potatoes and hard-boiled eggs at the same time in your Instant Pot.
4. Pressure cooker cajun shrimp and sausage boil
Hot weather calls for an old-fashioned low-country boil. Two Sleevers combines all the classics (corn, red potatoes, shrimp and sausage) in this fun and messy meal.
5. BBQ pulled pork
Pulled pork cooked until it falls apart is a summer classic from My Kitchen Love. Toss it with your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce, pile it on sliders and serve it with a heaping of cool and crisp coleslaw.
6. Instant Pot vegetarian pasta rigatoni bolognese
You won’t miss the meat in Paint the Kitchen Red's hearty vegetarian pasta rigatoni bolognese. This one-pot meal, packed with veggies and mushrooms, cooks the pasta in the sauce for extra flavor.
7. Instant Pot faux-tisserie chicken
There are no “fake” ingredients in this rotisserie, like you often find at the grocery store. Instead, Cooking with Curls uses just a bit of olive oil, fresh garlic, onions and your favorite herbs and spices to cook up a chicken for dinner tonight and leftovers tomorrow.
8. Instant Pot summer soup
If you’re wanting to clean up your eating, then look no further than Pinch of Yum’s summer soup. Follow the basic guidelines, then get creative with fillings and toppings, depending on what you love.
9. Mongolian beef
If you’re looking for a hearty and healthy dinner in under 30 minutes, look no further than Sweet and Savory Meals Mongolian beef. Try serving this thin- (or thick-) sliced flank steak with a heaping of fresh garlic and ginger over brown instead of white rice.
10. The best Instant Pot peach cobbler
As Southern Family Fun knows, dinner isn’t complete without dessert! Take advantage of fresh summer stone fruit by whipping up an easy and delicious peach cobbler topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in August 2019, and updated in July 2021.
